Christian InTech Articles - Cooking TIps

Informative Articles

Culinary Traditions Of The Caribbean Islands Authentic Caribbean cuisine is truly an excellent representation of all the cultural influences the Caribbean Islands have experienced since Christopher Columbus' landing in the late 1400's. With a fine mixture of French Island and African recipes,... Give a Fondue Party A Fondue Party is ideal for an informal evening with friends. This popular dish comes from Switzerland where villagers in the mountains had to rely on local produce, like cheese, wine and home baked bread during the long winter month. The name... Gourmet Cooking Made Easy: Holiday Party Ideas (ARA) - More entertaining takes place during the holidays than all the rest of the year put together. Relatives come to visit, friends and neighbors drop by unexpectedly -- this time of year you have to be prepared for a party on short notice. ... How to Carve a Turkey To someone who is just learning to cook, this topic may seem like one of the hardest meals you will ever have to prepare. Needless to say, if you’re having a turkey there’s usually company involved which means a number of hungry people are relying... One Bird the President Didn’t Pardon Talking turkey The talk around town in November was mostly politics, but after the election, people started talking turkey. The thought of using a self basting or kosher turkey did not appeal to me, I’ve never liked taking too many short cuts, I...         Frugal Cooking With Herbs Herbs are fun to grow and easy to use. Herbs can be a frugal cook's best friend because they can enhance even the simplest fare making it seem grand! Herbs are easy to grow--you can even grow them on your kitchen windowsill. The addition of herbs can change completely the flavor of foods-from homemade breads to soups, stews and vegetables. And they can add variety and excitement to your diet. A beginner should use herbs with care, adding a little at a time and adjusting to your own taste. Each herb has its own individual flavor and certain herbs also have well-known associations with particular foods. Basil is often paired with tomatoes, rosemary with lamb, chives with cream cheese and cottage cheese. Fresh herbs are wonderful as garnishes. Herb vinegars can be used in salad dressings, soups and marinades. You can also add fresh herbs to mayonnaise or butter for a different flavor. Fresh herbs will keep in the refrigerator for several days. A good way to freeze herbs such as basil, oregano, and dill is to chop, place in ice cube trays, cover with water and freeze. Then just add to stews and sauces when needed. Some easy herbs to grow are lemon balm, rosemary, oregano, dill, basil, parsley, peppermint, lavendar, sage. Of course, you can buy herbs to cook with at the supermarket, also. Here are some simple recipes to get you started using herbs in your cooking. Lemon Chive Dressing 1 clove garlic dash of salt Rind of 1 lemon, finely grated and the juice 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped chives Put the garlic and salt in a bowl and crush together. Add lemon rind, juice and mustard, stirring until smooth. Slowly whisk in the oil. Fold in chives and season with black pepper, if desired. This is a good dressing to pour over warm, cooked new potatoes. Add finely chopped green onions. Mint Iced Tea Wash 8 sprigs of fresh mint, 12 inches long (any mint, spearmint, peppermint, applemint will do). Place in blender with 4 cups water and liquefy. Let it set for about 1/2 hour and strain. Herb Butter 1/2 cup butter 4 tablespoons fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons of dried herbs Soften the butter to room temperature. Finely chop the fresh herbs. Blend herbs and butter well. Store in fridge. Use to season vegetables, as a spread on bread, biscuits or baked potatoes. Anywhere you normally use butter. Here's something different: not really cooking, but a recipe that you might find fun! Basil-Lemon Facial Mask Pulverize a handful of fresh basil leaves. Peel 1/2 of an avocado and mash. Add avocado to basil in blender, along with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey. Mix until smooth. Apply to clean face and leave as long as desired. Rinse off with lukewarm water. In short, you don't have to be an herb specialist to learn to enjoy using herbs. About the author: Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the bi-weekly newsletter "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another", bringing you practical, money-saving tips, recipes and ideas. Visit her online at http://www.cynroberts.comto subscribe and receive the Free e-course, "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".